2013 Girls HS Soccer

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For Smithfield to finish 4th, EWG has to lose a game. Smithfield does not control it's own destiny--EWG, EG, LSA and Portsmouth do. I do though foresee the following finish:

EG
LSA
EWG
Smithfield

looking at the remaining games for the top 6 teams....I think it is fair to say that EWG is a likely first round bye. Incredible.

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looking at the remaining games for the top 6 teams....I think it is fair to say that EWG is a likely first round bye. Incredible.

Smithfield looking good right now! Players progressing under great coaches!

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EWG middle of the pack, check the standings they are tied for the number 4 seed. EWG scrimmaged preseason all the top teams except Lincoln and Pilgrim and crushed them all so I would think since they are near the top of D1 they would be in D2. Not a EWG parent or coach just tired of never giving them credit. They seem to be a quality team.

EWG is a good team. They would have been better suited for D1 last year because I think one or two of their top players graduated. I'm surprised to see them in D1. IMO it is a complete and utter lack of forethought to do it now. Their best players, who are definitley high school D1 worthy, will be gone next year. That poor team is going to be left as a D1 bottom feeder for who knows how long.

[Unregistered]

EWG is a good team. They would have been better suited for D1 last year because I think one or two of their top players graduated. I'm surprised to see them in D1. IMO it is a complete and utter lack of forethought to do it now. Their best players, who are definitley high school D1 worthy, will be gone next year. That poor team is going to be left as a D1 bottom feeder for who knows how long.

Don't feel bad for EWG. Four of the top 8th graders reside in these two towns! Question is who stays and who leaves for the privates?

[Unregistered]

EWG is a good team. They would have been better suited for D1 last year because I think one or two of their top players graduated. I'm surprised to see them in D1. IMO it is a complete and utter lack of forethought to do it now. Their best players, who are definitley high school D1 worthy, will be gone next year. That poor team is going to be left as a D1 bottom feeder for who knows how long.

This whole EWG issue was discussed at length at the RIIL meetings. They will probably be required to go to D1 next year due to the number of wins they have had over the last 3 years (including this year there 62-4-5). So why not do it now so the younger players can see what they are in for? It seems like a good decision no matter how you look at it. Looking at their JV team results, they will probably be at least competitive in D1 for a number of years, and they do also have some top young players coming up. Now if they would just get electricity in those two towns, they'd be somebody!

[Unregistered]

Smithfield looking good right now! Players progressing under great coaches!

If they hit their stride, they still can't make up for the loss to Portsmouth, and the tie to EWG while better than a loss will possibly haunt them as well.

[Unregistered]

If they hit their stride, they still can't make up for the loss to Portsmouth, and the tie to EWG while better than a loss will possibly haunt them as well.

You are correct on the Smithfield tie with EWG. If the season was over today EWG #4, Portsmouth #5, Smithfield #6 with tie breaking rules.

[Unregistered]

Upset potential tonight in EG, look for a 0-0 tie with Prout. No way Prout scores on EG (unless off a set piece) but wouldn't be surprised if Prout team shows up defensively as they have nothing to lose at this point since the season is over.

Players don't care and have stopped listening to coach which may be the best thing to happen to them all season. If not, could be a pretty ugly game int he rain!

[Unregistered]

Cumberland does a great job for a "mucker." Crushed NK. Thoroughly dominated them. NK will be lucky to finish .500 with their remaining schedule and their mid-season slide well underway.

Is it a "slide" when a team plays "easier" teams first and then the "tougher" teams in the latter half of the schedule? Does that make it a slide when the win the games they are expected to win and then lose the games they are expected to lose? If the schedule was reversed and they got the easier teams later in the season would people say then that the team "got its act together and is playing well" when they won those games. The schedule is what it is and they have to play it.

[Unregistered]

Upset potential tonight in EG, look for a 0-0 tie with Prout. No way Prout scores on EG (unless off a set piece) but wouldn't be surprised if Prout team shows up defensively as they have nothing to lose at this point since the season is over.

Players don't care and have stopped listening to coach which may be the best thing to happen to them all season. If not, could be a pretty ugly game int he rain!

That could be a very interesting game, but I have to think EG will walk away 1-0. Tomorrow's BV-Smithfield game will be a big test for BV. I think Smithfield wins it, and I think EWG beats BV whenever they meet again. BV will be on the decline-- NK and Portsmouth already are as predicted. EWG and Smithfield are on the rise. Hard to say about LSA and EG. Neither has shown dominance, just steady ability to hold on for dear life.

[Unregistered]

Cumberland does a great job for a "mucker." Crushed NK. Thoroughly dominated them. NK will be lucky to finish .500 with their remaining schedule and their mid-season slide well underway.

did anyone see this game and have anything to post about it?

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If crowd the box is code for dirty, cheap and unsporting play, then I would tend to agree with you. HS soccer is certainly not the beautiful game, but the way they play sets back soccer in the US 30 years

HS soccer is constrained by:

(1) Coaches are selected by varied procedures, from union contractual language to friends of the AD/Principal. The only requirement besides the concussion and BCI is the NHSF sport specific course, which is not going to educate the coach on how to teach "the beautiful game".

(2) **Very few schools have any kind of accountability/evaluation system on coaches so unless the coach does something stupid or is at the bottom a lot, it is hard to get rid of bad coaches ** and let's face it, the refs aside, coaching is the number one factor in the crappy play. We like to throw stones at the various clubs, but a lot of the players on what should be the higher level play schools do play club soccer and are not being trained (for the most part) to play kick/run or dirty soccer..but something happens when they get to high school, even under some club coaches.. Bayview to me is an example of where a good coach makes a huge difference..

3) The state set-up is run by Principals who have a vested interest in winning and cost (and maybe safety/wellness in some cases)..the lack of a flexible and proactive alignment process (especially at the Middle school)..agree with the poster that EWG should have been put up in 2012 and probably will be a bottom feeder in 2015.. the rules by RIIL to clean up dirty play are very weak without corresponding enforcement/buy-in from the refs..

(3) Which leads also to the problem with the 2 man system in general, the fact that the supply is constrained by 330/400 pm games, and the extreme variability in fitness and competency of refs under the 2 man system. Add the 1 man system for JV in some cases and kids grow up learning that chippy/dirty play is the standard..Should be quicker with cautions and a lower threshold for the number of cautions..

(4) There is variations in roster sizes where some coaches focus on quality and will swing players between V/JV to keep roster sizes tight and others that carry 36-44 in total so the marginal players. Maybe at the weaker schools you need some roster fillers to make a team, but the better schools could do a better job instead of having some kids who are there because of their parents' contribution to the athletic program, friendship, etc..

(5) The schedule also does not promote good soccer..14-16 games packed into a timeframe that is even tighter than college, and after a full day (in theory) of school (unlike college)..I would move at least 4 games to Saturday afternoons..get better ref pool and ensure at least 3 days between matches.

[Unregistered]

HS soccer is constrained by:

(1) Coaches are selected by varied procedures, from union contractual language to friends of the AD/Principal. The only requirement besides the concussion and BCI is the NHSF sport specific course, which is not going to educate the coach on how to teach "the beautiful game".

(2) **Very few schools have any kind of accountability/evaluation system on coaches so unless the coach does something stupid or is at the bottom a lot, it is hard to get rid of bad coaches ** and let's face it, the refs aside, coaching is the number one factor in the crappy play. We like to throw stones at the various clubs, but a lot of the players on what should be the higher level play schools do play club soccer and are not being trained (for the most part) to play kick/run or dirty soccer..but something happens when they get to high school, even under some club coaches.. Bayview to me is an example of where a good coach makes a huge difference..

3) The state set-up is run by Principals who have a vested interest in winning and cost (and maybe safety/wellness in some cases)..the lack of a flexible and proactive alignment process (especially at the Middle school)..agree with the poster that EWG should have been put up in 2012 and probably will be a bottom feeder in 2015.. the rules by RIIL to clean up dirty play are very weak without corresponding enforcement/buy-in from the refs..

(3) Which leads also to the problem with the 2 man system in general, the fact that the supply is constrained by 330/400 pm games, and the extreme variability in fitness and competency of refs under the 2 man system. Add the 1 man system for JV in some cases and kids grow up learning that chippy/dirty play is the standard..Should be quicker with cautions and a lower threshold for the number of cautions..

(4) There is variations in roster sizes where some coaches focus on quality and will swing players between V/JV to keep roster sizes tight and others that carry 36-44 in total so the marginal players. Maybe at the weaker schools you need some roster fillers to make a team, but the better schools could do a better job instead of having some kids who are there because of their parents' contribution to the athletic program, friendship, etc..

(5) The schedule also does not promote good soccer..14-16 games packed into a timeframe that is even tighter than college, and after a full day (in theory) of school (unlike college)..I would move at least 4 games to Saturday afternoons..get better ref pool and ensure at least 3 days between matches.

And all these things add up to providing the kids that play with a lifetime of memories, great friendships, and all around good times. HS soccer is a wonderful thing!

[Unregistered]

HS soccer is constrained by:

(1) Coaches are selected by varied procedures, from union contractual language to friends of the AD/Principal. The only requirement besides the concussion and BCI is the NHSF sport specific course, which is not going to educate the coach on how to teach "the beautiful game".

(2) **Very few schools have any kind of accountability/evaluation system on coaches so unless the coach does something stupid or is at the bottom a lot, it is hard to get rid of bad coaches ** and let's face it, the refs aside, coaching is the number one factor in the crappy play. We like to throw stones at the various clubs, but a lot of the players on what should be the higher level play schools do play club soccer and are not being trained (for the most part) to play kick/run or dirty soccer..but something happens when they get to high school, even under some club coaches.. Bayview to me is an example of where a good coach makes a huge difference..

3) The state set-up is run by Principals who have a vested interest in winning and cost (and maybe safety/wellness in some cases)..the lack of a flexible and proactive alignment process (especially at the Middle school)..agree with the poster that EWG should have been put up in 2012 and probably will be a bottom feeder in 2015.. the rules by RIIL to clean up dirty play are very weak without corresponding enforcement/buy-in from the refs..

(3) Which leads also to the problem with the 2 man system in general, the fact that the supply is constrained by 330/400 pm games, and the extreme variability in fitness and competency of refs under the 2 man system. Add the 1 man system for JV in some cases and kids grow up learning that chippy/dirty play is the standard..Should be quicker with cautions and a lower threshold for the number of cautions..

(4) There is variations in roster sizes where some coaches focus on quality and will swing players between V/JV to keep roster sizes tight and others that carry 36-44 in total so the marginal players. Maybe at the weaker schools you need some roster fillers to make a team, but the better schools could do a better job instead of having some kids who are there because of their parents' contribution to the athletic program, friendship, etc..

(5) The schedule also does not promote good soccer..14-16 games packed into a timeframe that is even tighter than college, and after a full day (in theory) of school (unlike college)..I would move at least 4 games to Saturday afternoons..get better ref pool and ensure at least 3 days between matches.

A few good points here. Here's another thing that gets bandied about regarding high school soccer that is mostly untrue; high soccer is more physical than club soccer.

Untrue. People who repeat this have never been to a U16, U17, U18 club soccer match played on a regional level. Go watch a match in the top level of NEP, or Region PL or the sub-regional league, or at the region 1 championships at URI next July. You will see play that is every bit as physical as high school soccer (both genders). The difference is that the technical play of regional level clubs is superior to high school play. Thus, the physicality of high school soccer stands out more due to poor technical play from most of its players.

I hear it all the time "high school is more physical than club soccer". Actually witness a top level club soccer match first before you buy into this theory. It's simply not so.

[Unregistered]

Is it a "slide" when a team plays "easier" teams first and then the "tougher" teams in the latter half of the schedule? Does that make it a slide when the win the games they are expected to win and then lose the games they are expected to lose? If the schedule was reversed and they got the easier teams later in the season would people say then that the team "got its act together and is playing well" when they won those games. The schedule is what it is and they have to play it.

Was Cumberland supposed to beat NK?